Residential Property Solicitors

It’s best to instruct a solicitor as early as possible, ideally as soon as your property goes on the market or your offer has been accepted. Getting a solicitor involved at the outset can help avoid delays and ensure that the legal work begins as quickly as possible.

Early instruction also gives your solicitor more time to prepare the necessary documentation, carry out initial checks and deal with any issues that may arise during the transaction.

Tricky question. The duration of property transactions varies, however, they currently take 14-16 weeks. With any luck, it will be sooner.

Often, it depends on The Chain. The Chain is the series of property transactions that lead to yours. For example, when you are waiting for the current owner of the property you’re purchasing to move out, they are usually playing the same waiting game on their new property, and so too are the current owners of that new property. Don’t panic – The Chain isn’t as bad as it sounds and generally doesn’t take longer than a few weeks. After all, everyone involved is eager to complete the transaction.

When it comes to making property searches and raising enquiries, our solicitors will be thorough but efficient, and do everything in our power to get the ball rolling and the contracts exchanged.

Your solicitor will carry out a number of searches to identify any issues that could affect the property or your future ownership. These typically include local authority, environmental and water and drainage searches.

Depending on the property’s location and circumstances, additional searches may be required, such as mining, flood risk or chancel repair searches. Your solicitor will advise on which searches are appropriate for your purchase.

An estate agent is responsible for marketing the property, arranging viewings and negotiating the sale between the buyer and seller. A solicitor, on the other hand, deals with the legal aspects of the transaction.

Your solicitor will review contracts, carry out searches, liaise with your mortgage lender and ensure that ownership of the property is transferred correctly, helping to protect your interests throughout the process.

A property chain is a series of linked property transactions, where each buyer and seller relies on another sale or purchase completing at the same time. For example, the person buying your property may also need to sell their own home before the transaction can proceed.

Property chains can affect the timescale of a move, as delays in one transaction may impact everyone else in the chain. An experienced solicitor will work closely with all parties involved to help keep matters progressing.

Yes, most remortgages require a solicitor or conveyancer to complete the legal work involved. This includes repaying your existing mortgage, carrying out checks required by your new lender and registering the new mortgage against the property.

Your solicitor will ensure that all legal requirements are met and that the remortgage process is completed as efficiently as possible, allowing you to switch lenders with confidence.